Julie C Erickson

September 24, 1942 – June 21, 2022

Julie C. Erickson died June 21, 2022, in Tucson, AZ, at age 79. She was born in Sioux Falls, SD, on September 24, 1942, to Mary Elizabeth Schneider Christensen and Alphus Rolland Christensen. Julie grew up in Brookings, SD, where she made lifelong friends and graduated from Brookings High School in 1960. She attended Mankato (MN) State College and met Richard L. Erickson while acting in summer theater at South Dakota State College in Brookings. Julie and Richard were married on December 28, 1962, in Gallipolis, OH, and are the parents of Jill Ann Glauvitz (Lee) of Rio Rancho, NM, and Paul R. Erickson (Cheryl) of San Tan Valley, AZ. After Richard’s death, Julie was married to Pete Raskob, now deceased, from 1994 to 1999.

Julie was a long-time volunteer in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) community including holding various offices in the PTA organizations of Dietz Elementary, Carson Junior High School, and Palo Verde High School. She also served on several committees and task forces which helped implement the federal court mandated TUSD desegregation order, and she was a member of the Board of the Arizona State PTA. Julie’s lifelong commitment to education runs deep in her family. Her maternal grandmother, after whom she was named, was a school teacher in frontier South Dakota. Both her parents were teachers before and after World War II. Her daughter continues this commitment to education as an elementary school teacher in New Mexico.

Julie was a proud and vocal Democrat who, when she was younger, worked for many local and state Democratic candidates. She supported presidential candidates from George McGovern and Mo Udall to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Julie thoroughly detested the twice-impeached Florida retiree; she always understood that he is merely a failed organized-crime boss.

After her family, most important to Julie was her 30-year membership in the congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Over 3 decades, Julie performed various lay ministry duties for the Church, including as a Lay Reader and as the principal Marian Altar lay minister. She also completed the rigorous 4-year Education for Ministry program. Julie is survived by many St. Andrew’s friends and colleagues who miss her dearly.

Julie is also survived by her daughter and her son, as well as brothers Skip (Liz/Lisi) and Mark (Nancy), her grandchildren Dylan (Abby), Liesl, and Elyse, her nieces Jessica (Antje) and Sarah (Tim), and her nephews Mark A. (Noé) and James. Though not family, Kathy Van Loan and her son Tim, who were very important people in Julie’s life, also survive her.

A Memorial Service will held at St. Andrew’s, 545 S. 5th Ave, Tucson, on September 17, 2022, one week before Julie’s 80th birthday, at a time to be found on the church’s website,

www.standrewstucson.org.